Motor vehicle



INVENTR afiyes BY I v v fiederz MOTOR VEHICLE gu Filafi Feb. 21 1935 F. E. VDAYES 2,339,807

MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed Feb. 21, 1935 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR i ederzfi E. Bayes ATTORNEY F. E. DAYES MOTOR VEHICLE Ba 13, E3.

Original Filed Feb. 21, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Ba as $1. lk ATTORNEY .13, 13. F- E, AYES 2,339

MOTOR VEHICLE Original Filed Feb. 21, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 13, 1938 STATES PATENT GFFiE MOTOR VEHICLE Frederick E. Dayes, Philadelphia, Pa., assigncr to American Car and Foundry Motors Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to automotive vehicles, particularly of the passenger carrying type, whether they be of road or rail design, and is a division of application 7,491 filed February 21, 1935.

Passenger carrying vehicles as heretofore constructed have had the power plant either outside the body at the front or inside the body at the front. In either case the engine is arranged. in

a vertical position, consuming considerable space that could be used for passengers, and so related to the passenger compartment that it is practically impossible to prevent engine odors from entering the passenger compartment.

According to this invention a special model of horizontal engine is placed beneath the floor of the vehicle at a point between the front and rear wheels and so located that when the vehicle is loaded the driving wheels will carry approximately two-thirds of the total load} The radiator is placed at the front and ventilating doors provided allowing fresh warm air to enter the vehicle if desired, thus tending to create-a superatmospheric pressure within the vehicle which will prevent any possible ingress of odors from the engine.

By disposing the engine beneath the floor of the vehicle, the center of gravity is lowered making the vehicle more stable, engine fumes are eliminated, perfect axle loading may be realized and maximum passenger space obtained for a given overall vehicle length.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a vehicle chassis so constructed as to permit the use of a horizontal engine.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a vehicle so proportioned as to obtain substantially perfect wheel loading.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a vehicle having a horizontal engine beneath the floor to the rear of the front axle and having the radiator in the front of the vehicle so arranged as to permit heating of the vehicle.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a vehicle in which substantially the entire space between bumpers is available for Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of the passenger vehicle;

Figs. 3 and 4 taken together show a complete plan of the vehicle chassis, the engine andother equipment being shown in phantom;

Figs. 5 and 6 taken together show a complete right side elevation of the lower portion of the vehicle, portions being broken away to more clearly show the chassis construction;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 'i-'l of Fig. 6 and shows the means of carrying the girder past the door openings;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views of the side construction and taken on lines 8 8 and 9-9 respectively of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views; it is seen that the vehicle, in the present instance a passenger bus, is provided with the usual single tire front wheels 2, dual tire rear wheels 4, radiator 3' and bumpers 8. The lower portions of the bus sides are provided with removable plates it permitting access' to the engine for minor adjustments and repairs. The right or curb side of the bus is provided with gas filling inlet I2, oil filler inlet l4 and oil gauge inspection hole It, each opening being suitably covered by hinged doors or screw caps. A small door it is provided on the left rear side of the bus to permit of inspection and renewal of the battery. The passenger compartment extends uninterruptedly from the windshield to the rear wall of the bus, the only obstructions being the front and rear wheel housings.

The base portion of the bus is formed of a plurality of substantially channel shaped main transverse members 2|, 22, 23, 24, 25, 2E and 21 and a plurality of I-beam transverse members 3D and 3|. The channels 2i and 24 and I-beams andfil are standard rolled sections since they must carry a relatively heavy load while the other transverse members are formed of pressed plate. The ends of all these transverse members are suitably connected by angle clips 32 to the side which is the main longitudinal load transmitting element and may be termed a plate girder side.

The girder side comprises a channel pressing 33 having a constant depth lower flange 34 and a varying depth upper flange 35. The channel faces outwardly as shown in Fig. 8 and is riveted or otherwise attached to the side wall plate 36 thus forming a strong box section element of a girder attached to the lower angle element 38 by the wall plate extension and by braces or stub stakes 4|]. Short angle clips 42 are suitably attached within the box section at each stake portion and form attaching elements for the guard rail or side fender 44. The box section is so arranged as to directly support the transverse members which are suitably modified if necessary to have support on the box section.

The channel pressing 33 extends from transverse channel 25 forwardly to channel 23 on the right and to channel 22 on the left side of the bus. In order to carry the load past the front and rear door openings A and B respectively heavy channels 45 are provided forming substantially a continuation of the angle 38. The first riser 46 of the steps likewise aids materially in carrying the load past the door opening. This riser is shown only at the rear door B although it is duplicated at the front door A. The plate girder is carried forwardly from channel 22 by the front wheel housing and is aided in carrying the load by the intermediate front longitudinals 48 placed directly over the front springs. The plate girder is carried to the rear from channel 25 by the rear wheel housings and is aided in carrying the load by the intermediate rear longitudinals 50 likewise placed directly over the rear springs.

Short lengths of suitable depth channels 52 are interposed between the various transverse members to which they are suitably and rigidly attached by angle members. 54. These channels 52 extend between end longitudinals 48 and D and serve to brace the frame, and aid in distributing the load between the transverse members. In order to accommodate the engine E it is necessary that one of the channels 52 be eliminated and the channel 55 of relatively heavy section substituted. Angle members 58 extend across and brace each quadrilateral formed by the girder side, intermediate longitudinals and the transverse members. The various elements of the frame previously described are not only connected together by angle clips but also by suitably formed plates 60 riveted, welded or otherwise attached to all the elements meeting at the junction. These plates in addition to the angles 58 form diagonal bracing means for the various quadrilaterals.

It is thus seen that an extremely rigid bus is formed having plate girder sides with box section elements extending across the portions intermediate the wheels and that these girder sides are connected by a plurality of diagonally braced quadrilaterals. From a study of the structure disclosed it is seen that any longitudinal forces will be resisted by the girder walls as well as by the intermediate longitudinals and that any laterally or angularly acting force will be resisted by the entire bus acting as a unit due to the diagonally braced quadrilaterals.

In order to support the floor one leg of angle members 62 is attached to the upper edge of the variable depth flange 35 of the channel 33, the other leg being directed inwardly and supporting a floor panel 64 and floor covering 66. The remainder of the bus superstructure may be of conventional form although it is preferred to line the walls as set forth in my Patent 1,980,787 granted November 13, 1934.

The rigid frame has been so proportioned and designed as to permit of the placement of the engine and all auxiliaries beneath the floor of the bus and the relative position of these units will be next described.

Horizontal engine E and clutch unit C are suspended by means of rubber blocks from I-beams 30 and 3|. Transmission T is supported by the channel 24 and from the transmission a short drive shaft extends to the differental D. The air storage reservoir R is attached to channel 26 and supplies air through conventional means to the brake cylinders H. Battery J is mounted on a platform carried by the channels 26 and 21 opposite the rear door. The engine manifold M has, due to its special design, two mufller equipped exhaust pipes extending therefrom tothe rear of the bus and. has also connected to it an air filter F of the wet type drawing air from. the exterior of the bus. Mounted at the front of the horizontal engine is: an air compressor K, directly driven by the engine crank-shaft, having an extension shaft to which is coupled a long shaft L carried in bearings by the channel 22 and extended forwardly to drive the conventional radiator fan by means of a V-belt.' The radiator receives water from and delivers it to the engine through water pipes W. A power take-off is also provided to drive the usual generator G carried by the I-beam 30. The gasoline tank P is located below channel 24 and extends between I-beam 3i and channel 25.

The peep hole i6 is provided with a door immediately adjacent which is placed a switch (not shown) which controls a light placed adjacent the float O in order that the operator may readily determine the amount of oil in the engine sump N.

While the horizontal engine has been shown as located at approximately equal distances from the front and rearaxles it is to be understood. that this is purely representative and that its position may be shifted as desired to obtain. the proper or desired loading on the axles, also that the framing may be modified as necessary to accommodate the changed position of the units, retaining of course the strong girder sides and the braced connecting quadrilateral's, and that the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description.

What is claimed is:

A passenger vehicle including a body having front and rear walls at substantially the extreme ends of the body, front and rear wheels and axles, wheel housings therefor projecting into the body, front and rear springs supporting the body on the wheels, a horizontal engine for driving said vehicle, auxiliaryequipment, plate girders forming the side walls of the body, a plurality of pairs of transoms extending from side wall to side wall, said horizontal engine being supported directly by one pair of said transoms and said supporting transoms transferring the main load of said motor directly to said plate girder side walls, other pairs of said transoms transmitting the main. engine load from the plate girder walls to the springs and being located forwardly and rearwardly of said engine supporting transoms, a floor above said transoms, the horizontal engine and substantially all the auxiliary equipment being directly supported by said transoms and wholly beneaththe floor, whereby, a vehicle is provided having a substantially planar floor extending from front wall to rear wall and unobstructed except for said wheel housings.

FREDERICK E. DAYES. 

